Would you marry me?
by Amakata Rei
Summary: After years of ups and downs in their relationship, Haru and Rin have been in a steady commitment. Now, Haru wants to make sure they take the next step. A side of Haru you've never seen (hopefully). [Part 1 of Happily Ever After series / submitted to RinHaru Week 2017 Day 1: Sakura]


**Notes & disclaimer:** This was my contribution to RinHaru Week 2017 Day 1 (Prompt Sakura). **  
**It's inspired by both the Future Fish AU and the canonverse, so please nevermind the noncompliance to either one. It's mostly headcanon, after all.  
As you may be aware of, Free! belongs to its authors. I'm just a fan having fun for free (no pun intended).

 **Would you marry me?**

Ten years had passed by. Which meant they knew each other for at least 15 years now. Sometimes, it felt like they had just met. It was surprising how they were still able to learn the smallest things about one another after being together for such a long time.

Well, it wasn't like they had been together nonstop for 10 years. There had been setbacks, split ups that didn't last long, break ups that seemed to last forever. There was the time Rin went to Australia to study Law, only to realize that wasn't what he really wanted, that he didn't settle in, that he hated being away from Haruka. That had been one of those break ups that seemed infinite. They had agreed on breaking up, well, Haru had decided it was better for them to do so. Back then, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life either. And he was a step behind, for he didn't even know which career path to choose. He hadn't wanted to get in the way of Rin's future, and more than anything he wanted his boyfriend to be free to choose. He could meet someone he really liked in Australia, and so what? Haru trusted Rin enough not to be afraid of being cheated on. But four years were such a long time and he just didn't want to make the one he cherished go through that. A long distance relationship and an uncertain one for that matter would be too much for two guys who hadn't even reached their twenties.

Then there had been the break up that never happened because they weren't in a relationship anymore. Rin had come back to Japan after giving up on his scholarship in Sydney, but he hadn't said a thing to Haru. They weren't together anymore, after all. Besides, he sort of blamed his ex for being confused and for the fact that he hadn't been able to adjust back there.

They met, eventually, by chance. And then Haru had been the one regretting it all. He saw both sadness and anger in Rin's eyes, and he knew he couldn't be the one to comfort him. So he decided – a wrong decision, once again – to keep his distance, for the sake of the two of them.

However, those ten years hadn't been filled with hardships only. There had also been Rei and Nagisa's, their best friends from high school, intervention. The very intervention that got them back together. Also, the intervention that saved Rin from the reckless lifestyle he had been living for nearly a year after coming home.

And why not to mention the years before those very ten? The day when they first met, a sunny day on a random weekend. Rin's mother had taken him and his sister to Iwatobi swimming club, whose co-founder was none other than their father. The kids were ecstatic; they had been longing to visit that place, Rin especially. But nothing had prepared him for that chance encounter. He had been utterly amazed as he watched the blue-eyed boy swim. There was something beautiful about the way Haru swam, something that Matsuoka had never seen before.

Of course, Nanase had ignored him at first. "I only swim free," was his answer to Rin's request for a race between the two of them. That puzzled the cheerful boy and made him want to be friends with Haruka all the more.

So, no longer after that, it started. Rin managed to get transferred from Sano to Iwatobi middle school, and spent months trying to get closer to Nanase. Despite the latter's best efforts to resist it, they soon got to a point where none of them could deny the fact that they were actual friends. And rivals in the pool, to their own bliss.

Back then, they had no clue they would end up falling in love with each other. They had no idea that that friendship would grow into love. They just couldn't have guessed that, by the time they were in high school, they would be dating.

But they did. They had been tricked into confessing to each other by their devilish friend Nagisa. Not surprisingly, Rin had been the one to blurt it out.

"I like you!" He had snapped, blushing as soon as he realized what he had said. "Let's date, Haru."

Haru's initial reaction to that had been a wide-eyed stare. But he recovered fast and replied, unceremoniously, "Okay."

It took Haruka a while more to tell Rin he liked him too, as obvious as that was even back then.

Ten years later, he loved him. They loved each other, and they were so sure of that. After all, they knew the best and the worse of one another. And still, that didn't change the way they were bounded by that feeling.

A decade later, and they had their careers. They had become adults and they were no longer splitting up whenever they got into a fight or being apart because they just didn't know what path to walk in. They were sure of many things, including the fact that they were probably meant to be, regardless of the fact that they were both men.

Haruka knew he didn't care about that, he hadn't from the very beginning. And even though at first he hadn't really understood the depths or the nature of his feelings for that obstinate redhead... Now, after ten years, he was certain of one thing: He wanted Rin to remain in his life at any costs.

And he wanted to show him that the way Rin deserved. It was their tenth anniversary after all – if they ignored all of the hiatuses, which Haru did. It was time they stepped into a new chapter of their history.

For a long time, Rin had showed and taught him things he had never expected to see or learn. Now, Haruka wanted to give him something as remarkable as everything he meant to him. He had that in mind when he invited Nagisa and Rei to have dinner in his restaurant on that Wednesday night. Those two knew their story almost as much as he and Rin themselves did. They had supported them from the very start. Besides, they were in a steady relationship themselves, so maybe they could help him. While he doubted Rei was the romantic type – he suspected the physicist was even more clueless on matters of love than he was, which would explain why it had taken longer for Nagisa to get together with his beloved one –, he hoped Nagisa would give him some helpful advice. And he wanted to catch up with both of them anyway.

"Hi, Haru-chan! I'm still amazed by what you did with this place. Who knew you would become such a fancy chef?" The blond one commented as soon as he and Rei stepped into the restaurant and were greeted by none other than the owner.

"It's really impressive," Rei added. "Congratulations, Haruka."

Haru almost smiled at the realization that he missed hanging out with those friends. He couldn't help but notice that Nagisa still insisted on adding "-chan" to his nickname, while Rei had dropped the honorifics, but wouldn't call him Haru. They belong together, he thought as he directed them to a reserved spot on the restaurant.

"Since we've just opened, I won't be able to join you right away. But please make yourselves comfortable. Dinner is on the house."

"Waa and he sounds so formal, I'm amazed! Isn't it incredible, Rei-chan?"

Rei face-palmed, affectionately though. Years wouldn't change the fact that Nagisa Hazuki was a cheerful person who spoke his mind out whenever he was excited about something.

"Hey, Haru-chan, can I photograph the place? I even brought my camera." He grinned, excitedly.

"Uh, sure." Haruka took a look around, making sure everything was organized. "Rei, Nagisa, I'll have someone take your orders, okay? We'll talk soon."

"Sure. Please, don't worry about us." Rei said politely.

"Yes! Go do your best, chef Haru-chan!"

Haru smiled as he walked towards the restaurant's kitchen. He was happy his friends had accepted his invitation. Adult life was crazy, which means they had a lot to take care of and were usually busy, not to mention that they lived in opposite sides of the city, so meeting up often was hard to do. He wished he could join them for that meal, but the place was getting crowded that night, so he really had to work hard. That also made him happy. After straying and struggling for a while, Haruka had realized a career in the gastronomy field would probably suit him better than he could have imagined. His friends had made fun of him, saying that he wouldn't be able to cook nothing but mackerel no matter how much he insisted on doing so – it's no secret he's a fish addict – but they supported him nevertheless. Therefore, he soon found out cooking was really one of his passions and put a lot of effort into reaching his new goal, which was to become a renowned chef and have his own sophisticated seafood restaurant.

Thanks to his friends' support and Rin's constant encouragement, he had made it.

No matter how he looked at it, Rin had always been someone important who played a crucial role in whatever Haru did. His heart soothed at that thought. Today, he'd make sure he figured out what kind of surprise he could prepare for his lover on their special anniversary.

* * *

"I can't wait to work on these photos! Maybe I could even have Ai-chan write a review on Haru-chan's restaurant. What do you think, Rei-chan?"

Nagisa was a photographer and though nowadays he was focused on nature pictures, he still had a lot of friends from the time he worked for a sports magazine. His former coworker, Aiichiro Nitori, was a journalist who was currently working for a lifestyle magazine. They had been acquaintances back in school days, and became good friends years later as they met again at work.

"I think you should give Aiichiro-san a break. He's a busy person, you know? Besides, you have your own work to take care of." Rei sipped on his drink while feigning annoyance. Nagisa had the feeling Rei was jealous of Ai-chan, and he would have teased him for that. However, just then Haru stopped by their table. He had brought the desserts they'd ordered after savoring a unique meal.

"Excuse me. I'm joining you now," Haruka said as he finished serving them.

"Yay! We were looking forward to catching up with you!"

Nagisa, who looked as though he had also been looking forward to getting his dessert, soon dipped the spoon into his vanilla bean crème brûlée bowl.

"And I believe you also needed our help on something, right?" Rei asked.

"Yeah. Rin and I are celebrating our tenth anniversary this weekend," he commented and decided to give the details of his request later.

"Really?! It's been that long already?" The blond one asked full-mouthed.

"Nagisa!" Rei chided in a low voice.

Haru gave them a faint smile. Having those two around brought back so many memories.

" _Rin-chan, if you and Haru-chan ever get married, make sure you're the one to wear a bride's white dress!"_

" _What!? No way, that would fit Haru better!"_

 _The four of them were sitting by the school's pool._

" _If that's so, then I'm not marrying you, Rin."_

 _Haru had dived into the pool and Rin followed him right after._

" _The two of them can just be grooms, Nagisa-kun!" He had heard Rei saying as he emerged. "Besides, that makes no sense. Since they're both boys, there's no way they could marry."_

" _Don't be so close-minded, Rei-chan. They could always move to Canada or some place like that. Besides, I don't think Haru-chan worries about that. He knows Rin-chan will be his bride anyway."_

" _I won't be a bride!" Rin retorted and threw Nagisa his shark stare from across the pool. "Yo, Haru, let's race. The one who loses will be the bride."_

 _Rin lost._

* * *

"I can tell by your look you're daydreaming about Rin-chan. Tell us, what is it you want us to help you with?"

Haruka's eyes were wide open for a second. He didn't know he was that transparent when it came to thinking about Rin. People usually complained or just pointed out that he had a poker face, so even though the one to see through him had been one of his childhood friends, he was still surprised.

"Well," he started, regaining focus on the present moment. "I want to surprise Rin on our anniversary... But I'm not the romantic type like him, so I was hoping you could give me some tips."

Rei burst out laughing. Though he had complained to Nagisa about the way the blond one kept attracting everyone's attention to themselves, now he was the one who made heads turn their way.

"Give you some tips on how to be romantic? I'm sorry, Haruka, but I'm afraid there's no theory I'm acknowledged with concerning that."

"And that's why Rei-chan is mean sometimes," Nagisa pouted.

The chef looked almost disappointed at Rei. It wasn't as though he had really expected the physicist to be a sappy person, but he really hoped the both of them could be of some help. Rin deserved a lovely surprise, after all.

Noticing the dismayed expression on his friend's face, Rei stiffened.

"Sorry, Haruka-senpai. I didn't mean to make light of it."

"No, it's fine. Actually, I don't expect to do something way too cheesy. Like I said, I'm not like Rin. But well, I'm going to propose and-"

This time, Rei nearly choked on the tea he was having along with the dessert. Nagisa was just as shocked.

"Eeeh?! You're popping the question?"

Haru nodded. "That's why I want it to be special."

Mulling over that as he kept the spoon in his mouth, Nagisa hummed.

"Have you bought the rings yet?"

"Rings?" Haru deadpanned.

Nagisa face-palmed at his childhood friend. "Same old Haru-chan! If you're proposing, you're supposed to exchange engagement rings with Rin-chan."

"Oh. That."

The blond one sighed and took another spoonful of his dessert, tasting it slowly. Only after he was satisfied he went on. "Okay, you'll definitely need my help. And maybe Rei-chan can also learn a thing or two."

Rei widened his eyes, in both disbelief and confusion.

During the hour that followed, Nagisa taught them thoroughly the basics of being a romantic lover.

* * *

Haruka was thankful to his friends, especially to Nagisa. He really had been clueless, but eager to please Rin. Now he knew just what to do and really hoped his long-term partner would like it. Moreover, he hoped Rin would say yes. What if he thought living together was a higher step than they were ready to give? What if he thought being proposed by a man was weird? The fact that they were both guys hadn't been a problem before, but what if it was now? Besides, Haru understood that proposing didn't mean they would actually get married, not in Japan anyway. But he wanted Rin to move in with him. He wanted to see his sleepy face early in the morning for all mornings to come. He wanted to prepare dinner to both of them every night, and eventually have Rin complain that he prepared way too much mackerel for a meat lover like him to stand that; that they could use a different diet, since Haru was a chef. He wanted to know that Rin was home by having him arrive at their place, rather than by getting a call or a text message late at night. He wanted them to share his unbelievable big bathtub more than just whenever that sounded like a way not to let their sex life become a routine. He wanted to have a life with Rin, one that would be different from anything they'd experienced so far.

He wanted Rin to say yes.

That night, he got home later than usual. After the farewell with his friends, he had finished his tasks at the restaurant and made sure that everything was properly placed for the following day. Then he decided to walk home by taking the beach route. He'd always felt connected to the water, and since it was thanks to swimming that he had been able to meet his destined lover, he would never give up on his bound with water and whatever was water-related.

It was a chilly night that gifted him with the sight of a starry sky. By the time he approached the building he lives in, he was feeling refreshed. A long bath and Rin's company would add to that feel. They hadn't really talked much during the day, for the both of them were quite busy with their jobs.

Haruka was by his doorstep when his mobile rang. It was like Rin had felt he had been just thinking about him.

"Hello."

"Hey, Haru. Sorry for not calling or texting you earlier. Things were hectic at work. And now we're also taking the night shift." He let out a sigh.

"Will you be alright? I mean, you must be tired," Haru asked as he took off his shoes by the entrance and stepped into the living room.

Rin was a cop, a profession he had chosen after trying a couple of career paths that didn't really work for him. After dropping Law in Australia, he had granted a graduate diploma in PE in Tokyo. He even taught for a while in a high school in Samezuka district, but something about the justice had always been appealing to him, to a point it was hard to ignore. So he decided joining the force, as that would mean both putting the law into action and his athletic abilities into use.

"Yeah, but it's fine. Busting some punks always gives me extra stamina," he laughed.

"Take care, Rin."

"You too. You home already?"

"Yeah. Just got in."

"Make sure you lock everything, will you?" He clicked his tongue and it was audible even through the phone. "You're an airhead after all, Haru."

Haruka couldn't really defend himself on that matter. Rather, he thought he could really use having Rin around to make sure all doors were locked and everything was under control. It wasn't as though he wanted to depend on the redhead; however, being protected by him in a way felt right. In exchange, he'd make sure Rin got proper meals and had a partner to accompany him on early morning running training. It wasn't that they didn't do that already. It's just that they would do that as two souls who decided they belonged together, who were certain that they wanted to spend their lives as one.

"Oi, Haru? You there? Is everything alright?" Rin asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just wondering whether I locked the restaurant."

"Man, you're unbelievable! Alright, I'll have someone who's patrolling that region check it out."

"No need to. I'm sure I did. Now, Rin..."

People always said Haru has a certain voice to when he's going to say something important. He wasn't much of a talker, so people claimed it was easy to tell whenever something urgent would come out of his lips. He supposed he had that kind of voice now.

"Yeah?"

"You're getting the weekend off, right?"

A brief silence, one of those you get when the person across the line smiles.

"You bet!"

He smiled too, for he knew Rin was looking forward to that weekend almost as much as he did.

"Okay."

"Hey, I have to go now. I'll try and stop by Future Fish tomorrow, 'kay?" That was Haru's establishment. "Then we can go to my place when you're done and decide what we're doing on Saturday."

"What are you saying? We're swimming, of course."

He heard that rare carefree laughter he'd learned to love.

"Sounds like a plan! Well, good night, dolphin. Sleep tight."

"Good night, Rin. Be careful and get home safe."

They hung up and Haru was surprised to find himself with a smile still plastered onto his face.

He really wanted them to be together and have a place to call theirs.

* * *

When Saturday arrived, Haruka woke up very early in the morning. He stretched his arms before getting off bed and walking zombie-like all the way to the bathroom. He had a daily morning ritual he never let go of. It started with spending a crazy amount of time in the bathtub before he could do anything else.

Usually, the time he spent inside the bathtub wearing his swimsuit – yes, that was part of the ritual, and a peculiar one – was used for gathering his thoughts together. That morning, he was recapping everything he was supposed to do before Rin arrived. The day after his meet up with Nagisa and Rei, Rin stopped by the restaurant as promised, around the time Haru was finishing the service. They had dinner together there and went to the police officer's place, where Haru spent the night. Before they were off to sleep, they had chatted a lot. Well, as usual, Rin did most of the talking. And Haru loved to listen. He enjoyed the passion with which his boyfriend talked about things he had an interest in. The redhead had rambled about his previous day at work, about unbelievable silly criminals he busted up and about bureaucratic stuff he didn't feel good about doing, but had to put up with anyway. Finally, when their eyelids were getting heavy and they knew the conversation wouldn't last long, they talked about their plans for the weekend. Rin wanted to take care of everything – he obviously had something in mind and would give it his best to present Haru with a romantic experience. This time, however, Haruka wanted to get ahead of Rin. They were barely arguing about who would be in charge of their celebration plans when they stopped and breathed in simultaneously. They'd been there before; this was definitely not how they wanted to handle their anniversary agenda.

"Let's make a deal, then. I'll be in charge of our daylight activities and you'll take care of the nighttime ones." Rin grinned. "I'm dying to see what you'll pull off, Haru."

"Deal. You'll be surprised," Haru replied without giving anything away.

"So, shall we get some sleep?" He yawned and pulled the dark haired man close, cuddling with him.

They had fallen asleep before they could manage to say anything else.

Since Haru wouldn't have much time to organize things as the day went by, he had prepared most of things in advance. Going through his mental checklist, he nodded to himself. Everything was according to plan. That meant he could relax a bit more into the marvelous bathtub.

"Alright, time's up!" A grumpy redhead said as he entered the bathroom and stretched out his hand. He was wearing dark jeans, a navy blue t-shirt and sneakers. That meant wherever they were going, it was gonna be casual.

"'Morning, Rin."

"Oi, don't 'morning' me. Seriously, were you planning to spend the day soaking yourself in that bathtub?"

Although he acted like he was pissed, Haru knew better and could tell his boyfriend was putting up a front. Not saying a thing in return, he just took the hand that was being offered to him and got out of the bathtub. As he stepped close to Rin, water dripping from his body, he watched as his beloved one took the towel that was hanging on the wall and wrapped it around his neck, pulling both ends of it to bring him closer, to the point their lips were touching.

"Hurry, you water-addict," Rin uttered against his lover's lips. "Breakfast is ready."

Haru blinked and watched in surprise as Rin let go of the towel and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

He had been there for long enough to have breakfast ready for them. Haru was the one to do the cooking, usually.

So that _was_ a special day for the both of them. Okay, he wouldn't have Rin disappointed either.

* * *

Rin's schedule included, besides hanging out at some place he had been secretive about at first, having breakfast together. And while he wasn't as good at preparing that as his boyfriend was – Haru was a pro, after all –, his cooking wasn't half bad. Years of dating a chef paid off; also, it didn't take much to make Haru happy when it came to food. His eyes had brightened when he noticed the main dish was grilled mackerel. Rin certainly knew how to please him.

It didn't escape the blue eyed man the fact that his lover had brought a fully packed backpack. It seemed they were going on a short trip, and he was instantly excited by the idea, although his blank expression wouldn't show.

After they had breakfast, Rin had hurried him to go get his stuff. He was already dressed casually, wearing grey shorts and a leaf green tee. Only when they were inside the cop's car Rin revealed their destination. Well, sort of.

"You said we're swimming, right? I thought you'd like to do that in a special place, so I borrowed Sousuke's boat."

Yamazaki Sousuke was a fellow policeman who had been Rin's partner back when he was a rookie. He came from a wealthy family, so Haru knew right away that by 'boat' Rin meant a fancy one.

"Oh," was all he managed, to Rin's amusement.

"I'll make sure I show you an incredible sight."

And he meant it.

* * *

Haruka had spent so much time working on his own surprise, he couldn't have expected Rin's. Not long after they hopped onto Yamazaki's stunning boat, they made to the place Rin had talked about. It was a small, somehow private island. The water was breathtakingly clear there, the sea was as calm as only in Haru's dreams it would be. They swam, dried under the sun and over the white sand, talked about everything and also spent time in silence, enjoying each other's presence just as they were enjoying that amazing paradise.

Rin seemed to be beyond himself with joy. He was satisfied to notice that Haru looked like a child on Christmas day. That moment meant a lot to him, too.

Now, back into the boat, they were wordlessly watching the sunset. Rin was leaning against the bow, his face lit by faint rays of a dying orange sunlight. He was the one to break the silence.

"You know, Haru... When I was in Australia," his gaze was lost into the ocean as he went on. "How long ago was it again? Six years? Well, back then, I felt like being in love was ruining me. I had all sorts of crazy thoughts, you know? Like, the fact that studying seemed so hard was actually because you were on my mind all the time, things like that."

He threw Haru a quick glance, and smiled. "It pissed me off, you see? That you seemed to have control over me."

Haru was listening, not really wanting to go back to that place where they had both suffered so much, but eager to understand Rin's feelings a bit more.

"I even tried to hate you, and at some point I believed I did. But then I came back and before I knew it, you were back into my life. I didn't realize right away, though..." He turned to the dark haired man, who was now standing beside him. "But I do, now. I have for a while."

Their eyes locked and they just stood still for what seemed to be a lifetime, feeling a light breeze caress their features.

"No matter how I might have thought you were getting in the way of my future, back then," Rin continued, averting his eyes from Haru's for half a second. "Now I'm pretty sure it's quite the opposite. There's not a future for me if you're not there, Haru. I keep moving forward and giving everything my best because I want to be somebody worth of you."

Haruka fought hard not to blush himself when he realized Rin's cheeks were covered by a trail of pink. Scratching the back of his head, the redhead wavered. "Uh... So, well, thanks for looking after me for this long, is all."

They had made it that far and Haru was absolutely sure that was the very day a new chapter on their story would be released. For a slight second, he considered whether he should anticipate things, whether he should use that mood to just ask what he'd been meaning to.

However, more than ever he wanted it to be remarkable and knew his plan would guarantee that. So he decided to wait.

Waiting didn't mean he wouldn't respond to such a confession, of course. He gave a step ahead and said "Rin...", but nothing else came up. That was because he knew words weren't his specialty. Thankfully, there were far more ways to demonstrate feelings.

Haru cupped Rin's face on his slightly cold hands and kissed him, more than ten years of everlasting love flowing as lips came into mutual contact and tongues met in a tantalizing dance, a deep bound being expressed by touch.

They made it back to the pier in a blissful silence. Words didn't matter anymore, feelings did.

* * *

Haruka's share of their celebration included a special and private dinner at Future Fish, for which they stopped by his place first to get properly dressed to that occasion.

He thought it was his and his only turn to be in charge of surprises. However, Rin still had something under his sleeve and caught the cook off guard.

"Before you take over, there's something I want to give you," the redhead said when they were about to leave Haruka's apartment again. It was then that Haru realized he had been hiding something behind his back. "Don't go finding it weird, ok? I know guys aren't supposed to get this kind of gift, but..."

Next thing he knew, a beautiful bouquet of flowers, composed by blue and pink roses, was being shoved into his hands.

"And well, I also got you this," Rin revealed a small box he had also been hiding. On top of it 'time capsule' was written.

Haruka was flabbergasted. How come Rin always found new ways to amaze him? Inside the box he found photos that dated from back when they were kids to recent trips and moments they shared. There was also a wood carved Iwatobi-chan key chain, a delightful reminder of their school days. After all, he used to love the school's mascot. Under the photos he found several envelopes.

"Uh... Those are some letters I never sent you. I wrote them when I was in Sydney." Rin was flushed as he explained.

The pair of blue eyes widened.

"These... All of this is amazing, Rin. Thank you."

Uneasy, the policeman scratched his nape and smiled. "It's nothing, really."

Haru placed the gifts on his table carefully. After he made sure the flowers had a vase to themselves, he grabbed his boyfriend's hand.

"Come. It's time you get spoiled yourself."

* * *

" _If you want it to be really special, then Haru-chan, you have to include something Rin-chan really likes."_

" _Uh... He likes meat quite a lot. Nearly as much as I love mackerel."_

 _Nagisa had shook his head._

" _I bet no one likes anything as much as you like mackerel, Haru-chan. Well, you can always prepare a romantic dinner and include meat on the menu. However, we need something else. Something for the proposal moment."_

 _The blond photographer had played with his spoon for a while, mulling over that. To both his and Haru's surprise, Rei was the one who offered, "Rin used to love cherry blossom, right? I once heard that cherry blossom is usually related to romance, so..."_

" _Rei-chan, that's true... But it applies to shoujo manga! We're talking adult stuff here."_

" _Says the one who insists on adding the chan suffix to people's names," Rei scowled._

 _Pouting, Nagisa retorted. "That's how I treat people who are special to me."_

 _Lost in their own moment for a while, the couple had forgotten about Haru, who was still considering his friend's suggestion. Yes, Rin did indeed love cherry blossoms._

 _And having him swim in a pool covered by those had been how Haruka had managed to win his spot in Rin's heart again, back when the redhead had returned from Australia._

" _You're right, Rei. I know how I'll make it special."_

* * *

"Oi _,_ Haru, what are you doing?"

"Keeping your eyes closed. Don't spy, Rin."

"I can see you're keeping my eyes closed, but what's that for? Where are we going?"

Guided by his boyfriend, Rin walked in hesitant steps. Being a cop, it was hard for him not to be able to control the situation. The fact that he couldn't _see_ the environment made him even more uncomfortable. Okay, they were at Haru's, so it shouldn't be a problem. Besides, they had arrived from a lovely and reserved dinner at Future Fish. The place had been closed so that the two of them could have some privacy, and although it was a seafood restaurant, the chef made sure grilled meat was served that night. The mood couldn't be better! Furthermore, there was no need to be alarmed. However, he was used to checking everything out to make sure they were safe, even though they lived in a quite safe neighborhood. It was just his profession side effects.

"Shh... You'll see. Now, take one more step ahead. Another one. Good. Wait here."

Haru used one hand to turn the switch on. The dark room they had stepped into became illuminated. One second later, Rin's eyes were uncovered, and wide open.

"H-Haru..." He stuttered, bringing the back of his hand to his mouth, trying hard to keep the tears that had come up to his eyes from falling.

They were in Haruka's bedroom, whose bed was covered by light blue sheets which were purposefully messed up so that they would remind of the sea. On top of them there were several cherry blossom petals. It really reminded of that cherry blossom covered pool they had once swam on.

"This is... Damn, you...", tears were evident in those pink eyes. Rin was obviously moved, which brought a smile to Haru's lips.

Only then did Rin notice the small round shaped box sitting in the middle of the bed. It was white and shiny, sort of like a pearl. He lifted his eyebrow, questioningly. His lover took his hand.

"Come, sit here," Haru ushered him to sit on the edge of the bed, then took the small box from the center of it and kneeled down on the floor in one knee.

"Haru... What in the world are you doing?"

Rin was now uneasy. Haru had never done such a thing. Yes, he knew he was loved by him, that straight-faced guy had his own ways of showing his feelings. Yet, being that romantic was so not like him. Rin was both flattered and flustered. Then Haru opened the box and his heart almost stopped. No, no way...

A pair of round, golden rings stood inside of it, shining.

"Rin, will you..." Haru blinked twice, worried, as he saw the abundant tears falling from Rin's eyes in two streaks. "Mar-"

A pair of strong arms wrapped around Haruka's neck. Before he knew it, Rin was weeping on his shoulder and saying, "Yes, yes, dammit, of course I will!"

He was crying and laughing at the same time, whilst holding on tightly to his now fiancé. When he finally let go of the tight grip and gave Haru room to breath, their eyes met.

They didn't say a thing, just kissed, again and again, until that led them to dive into their own private, silk pool.

* * *

Later that night, as they lie down, limbs mixing and mingling, wrapped by the sheets, and petals sticking to their sweaty bodies, Rin opened his hand and stared at it, blissfully watching his brand-new jewelry. They had wore the rings sometime between getting rid of their clothes and falling into the arms of each other.

"You know we won't be able to actually marry, right?" He commented, giving Haru a side glance.

"Yeah, I know. But I thought moving in together already works as marriage."

"So we're finally living together, huh?" Rin grinned and turned around, topping his lover and biting his lower lip.

"Yeah," Haru smiled.

They didn't need to talk about how happy they felt for the path life had thrown them into. More than ten years ago, they wouldn't have guessed they would realize they were soulmates, they would laugh if anyone told them they'd be partners for life.

Now, they were beyond themselves with joy that that has happened.

"Rin."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Blue eyes stared right into pink ones.

"What for?"

"For stepping into my life. And for staying."


End file.
